Upcoming Event
New Mexico Tech Performing Arts – Presidential Chamber World Music Series II: WOR Band Belgium
Presidential Chamber World Music Series II: WOR Band Belgium
Back to the 1780’s! If it sounded good back then, why not today? WÖR (pronounced ‘were’) is a band of five musicians whose curiosity, passion and talent has led to a niche goldmine of melodies in stunning contemporary arrangements.
With their finely textured arrangements WÖR injects new energy into 18th-century melodies from the Flanders region of Belgium. Their music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on the melodies in these manuscripts.
WOR released 3 albums (‘Back to the 1780’s’ (2015), ‘Sssht’ (2017) and ‘About Towers’ (2021) and toured in Europe, Australia, Canada & the US (including the National Folk Festival, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Concertgebouw Brugge, Sunfest, Shetland folk festival..). In August 2018 they won the German award ‘Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik’ with their album ‘Sssht’. In 2021 they were nominated for ‘Best live band’ at the Flemish Folk Awards’ and their album ‘About Towers’ made it into the ‘World Music Charts Europe’.
WÖR’s new album “About Towers” is available now. In typical WÖR fashion, this album is built around Belgian manuscripts but this time we’ve found our favorites from the vast carillon repertoire
What is Carillon music, you say? Here in the Low Countries around the late Middle Ages, the carillon (a set of tuned bronze bells suspended in a large tower) used to function like a modern-day radio station playing the hits of the day to everyone in the surrounding area. We breathe new life and energy into these carillon manuscripts. Unusual music in a hip and catchy costume. Always with due respect for tradition, but brimming with artistic originality. Just like the music of the carillonneurs then, our album is a playlist for you, ‘the timeless’ hits from our region.
Fabio Di Meo
baritone saxophone
Born in Brussels Belgium, Fabio started playing the saxophone at the age of 8 and engaged in lots of music activities such as wind bands, saxophone choir, pop bands, and bigbands. At the age of 18 he started his music studies at the the LUCA School of Art and obtained a master degree in music with specialty of saxophone. He started teaching at the SLAC in Leuven and was involved in many music productions, such as the Belgian National Saxophone choir. After two years of teaching, he went into music production. He started in 2016 as a production officer for the Brussels Jazz Orchestra and is now currently working for Bozar, the Centre for fine Arts Brussels.
Jeroen Goegebuer
fiddle
Jeroen Goegebuer started playing the violin at the age of 6. After 9 years of violin lessons at the music school in Bornem, Jeroen started at the the LUCA School of Arts, campus Lemmens for the last 2 years of art high school. He received a bachelors degree of jazz violin with Jean-Pierre Catoul at the Conservatory of Ghent. He then studied jazz violin with Michael Gustorff at the Artez Hogeschool in Arnhem (NL). At the same time he taught folk violin at the music school of Bornem. After his studies at conservatories of Gent & Arnhem he toured the world with bands in several genres from pop, rock, and world music.
Pieterjan Van Kerckhoven
bagpipes – baroque musette – saxophone
Pieterjan is an active international musician and educator. He can be seen and heard on the international scene with his bands WÖR and EmBRUN and his baroque ensemble Bourdon Collectif (Drone collective). As a freelance musician, he appears on recordings of the early music ensembles “Les Agrémens” (Namur, Belgium) and “Les Menus Plaisirs du Roy” (Brussels, Belgium). Pieterjan holds a master’s and postmaster’s degree in baroque musette and a master’s degree in chamber music from the LUCA School of Arts, campus Lemmens where he studied with Dr. Jean-Pierre Van Hees. Pieterjan is currently the instructor of Bagpipes & Musette at LUCA School of Arts, Campus Lemmens in Leuven, Belgium.
Jonas Scheys
guitar
Jonas studied guitar and luth at the conservatory of Ghent (School of Arts). He holds a master’s degree in guitar and is currently the guitar instructor at the Academy for music in Geraardsbergen. He has been very active in the Belgian roots music scene playing bass, guitar and luth. He also performs in various groups and ensembles in other musical genres such as tango, fusion, baroque and renaissance music. All this experience makes him a very versatile musician. “For me, its the interesting that WÖR combines the two musical genres I prefer the most: baroque music and folk. And I can play it on my first love: the guitar!”
accordian
Bert studied accordion at the Academy of Music, Word and Dance of Sint-Niklaas at the age of 9. At the age of 15, he participated in various workshops and internships like the Ethno world music camps. His groovy energy and lyrical accordion playing is strongly influenced by Celtic en Nord-European traditional music. He toured with different ensembles and projects (Folklof, Griff, WÖR,..) in Europe, Australia, China, and Canada. Bert is an instructor in several accordion and roots music programs.
